


Outside Looking In

by NoScrubs12345



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-27
Updated: 2014-02-27
Packaged: 2018-01-13 23:43:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1244722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoScrubs12345/pseuds/NoScrubs12345
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Petunia Durlsey has hated her sister and anything to do with magic for the better part of ten years. On Lily's wedding day, Petunia puts aside her feelings and grudgingly takes her place as maid-of-honour. What should be a happy day for Petunia turns to one of self-loathing when she discovers through two groomsmen there are more important things to be jealous of than magic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Outside Looking In

Petunia had been jealous of her sister ever since Lily's Hogwarts letter had arrived over breakfast a decade ago. After that, she had felt as if she had ceased to exist. From that point on, it had always been _Lily this_ and _Lily that_ , leaving her feeling too much like poor Cinderella. Sometimes she thought Lily had done it all just to spite her; other times she was content just to have a sister, witch or not  
.  
As she stood in her unflattering dress, her baby-bump almost-showing and feet already smarting, she decided Lily indeed hated her. Being the Matron of Honour was worse than receiving the invitation by owl messenger--not through the post like anyone _normal_ would have expected it to arrive. However, in Petunia's mind, nothing could have been more horrible than the groom's family. 

_Heathens. The entire lot are heathens_ , she thought as James' still-drunk cousin staggered past her singing his rendition of "God Save the Queen" at the top of his lungs. 

Petunia pointedly ignored Great Aunt Linda as she called to her from Lily's bridal suite upstairs. Instead, she slipped out of her heels and silently padded outside into the crisp October air. She wandered past the cars some of the guests--mostly her and Lily's side of family--had driven there. She spotted her own and, with a sigh, wondered where Vernon was hiding. As the birds chirped in the bright morning sun, she found herself admiring Mrs Potter's still-blooming rose garden. 

Petunia leaned forward and smelled a magnificent pink tea rose, wondering why they were blooming this late in the year.... 

" _Magic_!" she hissed to herself and jumped as a motorcycle roared into the makeshift car park. 

She turned and glared at the offending bike. It was big, black and pristinely polished--had she not hated them on principle, she would have found the machine quite sexy. Petunia subconsciously slipped around the corner of the house and peeped around the trellis. She watched as the bike's two occupants clambered off and helped brush off each other's tuxedoes. 

"I feel like a penguin," the shorter of the two said as he took of his helmet. Petunia sneered; he was nothing special with brown hair, but those eyes! She'd never seen anyone with such striking hazel, almost amber, ones before. 

The man who had been driving the motorcycle took off his helmet and laughed. Petunia gasped, his dark hair and eyes, aristocratic features and perfect alabaster skin was enough to make her go weak in the knees. 

"You _look_ like a penguin," he teased the other man, smiling and running a hand through his hair.

"Sirius! Remus!" a podgy man called to the pair from the front doors and ran over to them. 

Petunia frowned. _Who would name their children_ that _?_

"James-nervous wreck-cold feet-need help," the podgy fellow said between breaths. 

The two motorcycle blokes shared a look. 

"I guess that's a job for the best man, then," the dark-headed one said. 

The pair started to follow the podgy man inside. Petunia noticed the way they walked too closely for mere friends, and when the taller one placed a hand on the small of the other's back, she didn't know if she should be surprised, offended, or simply indifferent. They disappeared from sight and Petunia stepped back around the corner as the front door clicked shut. 

"There you are!" Great Aunt Linda shouted from a second floor window. "Get up here and make yourself  
useful!" 

Petunia sighed and marched back inside to grudgingly help her sister prepare to walk down the aisle. 

****** 

"You look lovely," Petunia said callously as she made a few final adjustments to Lily's dress while they waited in the wings for the ceremony to start. 

Lily smiled. "Thank you. How are you feeling?" 

"Good enough," she said. "It's Vernon that's having sympathy pains already." 

Lily giggled and an awkward silence fell over them. After a moment, Lily opened the door a crack and peered down the aisle.  
"Oh, James looks petrified." 

Petunia also took a peek. Her gaze immediately shifted from the cowering groom to the three groomsmen she had observed earlier. 

"Who're the other blokes?" 

Lily frowned. "That's Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew," she said, pointing to each in turn. "They're James' friends from school. They're really not too bad once you get to know them." 

"Are Lupin and Black-" Petunia started, but was interrupted by the music. 

"Shit," Lily swore and all but pushed her sister out the door before the other bridesmaids could proceed. 

Petunia walked down the aisle as quickly as she dared. She nodded to the officiant as she passed him and took her spot by the candelabra behind Lily's mark. Hearing Remus laugh, she shot him a disapproving look. Sirius was whispering something in his ear that was causing a spectacular blush to creep along the brown-haired man's cheeks. James mumbled something to them and they quickly jumped apart, muttering their apologies. Petunia smiled but wiped the grin from her face as Vernon and a few other people from the audience cleared their throats. 

The flower girl stumbled over her basket as she reached the altar and Petunia chuckled along with the crowd good-naturedly. The little girl ran to one of the bridesmaids and hid behind her as the wedding march started and everyone turned to focus on Lily. 

******

"Freak," Vernon said matter-of-factly after Sirius had finished toasting Lily and James. 

Petunia nodded her agreement without thinking. "The chicken is good, though." 

"I saw _what_ cooked it, Petunia; they looked like little Yoda creatures wearing tea cosies. It just isn't _natural_." 

Petunia made a mental note to keep Vernon away from the open bar. She calmly ate, attempting to disappear into the crowd, and tried not to stare at Remus and Sirius at the high table. She couldn't help stealing furtive glances at them--their easy laughter, the casual touches that lingered too long, Sirius feeding Remus cake, and a kiss that drew both envious and angry glares from across the room. She sighed and sipped her grape juice, jealous of more than just their magic. 

As Lily and James began to dance, Petunia glowered at Vernon. He was staring obliviously into his tonic and gin, lost in his own world. She sighed again and went back to watching her sister. Lily was beautiful, her red hair spilling elegantly down her back and she was completely lost in James' eyes. _They look so happy_ , she thought and wished she had something stronger than juice in her goblet. She started when a person at the next table angrily shouted at something on the dance floor. Petunia followed their gaze and was surprised by what she saw: Remus and Sirius were locked in a kiss as they slowly swayed together and the bridal party joined the newlyweds on the floor. 

"Bloody poofters. They're ruining everyone's night," Vernon grumbled and tossed back the rest of his drink. Petunia glared at him as he ordered another one from the nearest waiter. 

"You're hopeless," she said under her breath. Whether she meant Vernon or herself, she didn't know. 

Turning her attention back to Remus and Sirius, she saw that Sirius was cupping his boyfriend's arse. She smiled when Remus shifted it away and swatted playfully at him. From where she sat, it looked like the shorter man said "later" before resting his head on the other's shoulder, ignoring the looks and snide comments that floated across the room. 

"Are those shirt lifters bothering you, love?" Vernon grumbled drunkenly. 

"What?" Petunia said as she snapped from her reverie. "Oh. No, I was just thinking about something...the baby." 

Vernon nodded his approval. 

Out on the dance floor, Sirius was whispering something into Remus's ear. Remus smiled sweetly and raised his head to press a chaste kiss to the dark-haired man’s lips. Petunia sighed. "Do you think we should call it Dudley if it's a boy?" 

Vernon thought for a moment. "Dudley. Dudley. Rolls off the tongue nicely, doesn't it? I like it." 

"I thought you might." Petunia looked up as second cousin Annette from Kent pulled up a chair. "My word, Annie! You're big as a houseboat!" 

"Ugh! And my back is killing me," Annette said. "So you're expecting too? Hope you know what you're in for. Nappies, crying, breast-feeding. It's horrible, but it's all worth it in the end. Did I tell you about Owen, Petunia? He just started school and he's already at the top of his class!" 

Annette went on, but Petunia politely drowned her rambling out, too busy watching Remus and Sirius slip hand-in-hand out through a side door that led to the gardens. Petunia sighed and turned her attention back to Annette, who had gone from talking about her children to Amsterdam in the spring. 

"That's nice, Annette," she said as the term 'legal marijuana' entered the conversation. "Would you excuse me? The baby might be the size of a pinhead, but it's still wreaking havoc on my bladder." 

"Don't worry, love," Annette said and waved her off. Turning to Vernon she said, "So, you make drills, right?" 

Petunia rolled her eyes as Vernon started his overly-practised monologue about Grunnings, his speech only slightly slurred. She walked towards the ladies' loo, but, once sure no one was watching, snuck outside and around the house to the garden. The chill in the air was refreshing and delicious smells were wafting outside from the kitchens. As she walked by the luxurious flowers, the sound of masculine laughter made Petunia jump and she spun around, searching for the source. 

She spotted Remus and Sirius in the gazebo and faded into the shadows, thankful for the new moon. Sirius was leaning easily against the banister, holding Remus' hands in his own. The lights floating around the small garden-- _were those actual_ fairies _in the bushes?_ \--backlit the pair like a couple from an old movie. Petunia felt a wave of envy wash over her, but quickly quelled it as it gave way to sorrow. 

"Prongs and Lily looked happy back there," Sirius said quietly. 

"Yes, they did," Remus said and smiled. Petunia was astounded by the way the tiny lights from the fairy-things reflected the gold in his hair and those strange eyes, lending him an almost feral beauty. She instantly regretted thinking he was plain before. 

Petunia thought she heard Sirius sigh before he leaned in to kiss the other man. "I hope I didn't embarrass you back there." 

Petunia furrowed her brow. _What's he talking about?_

Remus chuckled. "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." 

Sirius cupped his lover's cheek and tenderly traced the line of Remus' cheekbone with his thumb. "See? I told you no one would burn us at the stake if we danced." 

"I think some of them wanted to, though," Remus said, ducking his head. 

Sirius pulled him close and kissed him again. "Who cares what they think? All I care about is that my best mate and Evans are going to live 'happily ever after' and that I. Love. You," he said between quick kisses. 

Remus' smile was infectious; Petunia felt giddy as a schoolgirl just watching them. 

"I love you too," Remus said and kissed Sirius back, one hand burying itself in Sirius's hair while the other wrapped around his lower back to pull him in. 

Petunia wiped a lone tear from her eye and slipped back inside, hoping the others hadn't noticed how long she had been gone. In the reception hall, she found Vernon and her father locked in a friendly drinking contest. She shook her head and sat with Annette and Linda, who were going on aimlessly about Lily's dress and how perfect James was for her. Petunia listened half-heartedly, not feeling up to the gossip and wishing she were out there in the garden with someone she loved instead of with the bitter housewives whose ranks she feared she had already joined.


End file.
